With a desire to produce clean lingzhi mushroom and create jobs for locals, Hoang Van Lam, an overseas Vietnamese in the US, returned home to open a lingzhi mushroom farm called U.S farm in Lang Lon commune, Chau Duc district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
Hoang Van Lam, or Tony Lam, said he came to Vietnam many times to find a suitable place for growing mushrooms. In 2013, he finally chose Chau Duc, which has all the necessary conditions for growing lingzhi mushrooms with a cool climate and clean, good soil, to set up a hi-tech farm in a forest area of 5ha.
Accessing the farm from the main gate, you can see a big lingzhi mushroom shaped lake. This pond collects rainwater for making mushroom spawn. There is also a well 50m deep in the middle of the lake which collects groundwater for production.
Accessing the farm from the main gate, you can see a big lingzhi mushroom shaped lake. This pond collects rainwater for making mushroom spawn. There is also a well 50m deep in the middle of the lake which collects groundwater for production.
 Lingzhi mushroom spawn is made in U.S Farm’s laboratory.  Analyzing lingzhi mushroom samples.  U.S Farm workers check on the growth rate of cordyceps.  On average, U.S Farm sells 10,000 to 20,000 bags of mushroom spawn a day.  Mushroom spawn are made from rubber plant sawdust.  The farm workers check sawdust bags after they are sterilized.  Farm workers put mushroom mycelium into mushroom spawn bags.  Lingzhi mushroom spawn bags are marked for better monitoring.  Farm workers cut off bad-quality mushroom parts.  Clean mushroom spawn made by U.S farm. |
U.S Farm applies US and Japanese technology to the process of growing lingzhi mushrooms. The farm is also equipped with laboratories for making mushroom mycelium. To create a good growing environment for lingzhi mushrooms, the farm uses rubber plant sawdust which is sterilized using automatic technology.
| Hoang Van Lam said U.S Farm is expected to open 20 more mushroom farms and become an ecotourism destination for visitors in the near future. |
U.S Farm is a good quality mushroom supplier for many farmers in Chau Duc, the neighboring districts in the province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau as well as farmers in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Vietnam.
Hoang Van Lam often holds training sessions which guide and transfer technological knowledge to the farmers, and covers the output of the products.
On average, the U.S Farm sells 10,000 to 20,000 bags of mushroom spawn a day. According to Lam, the investment cost for 10,000 bags of mushroom spawn is roughly 40-50 million dong (roughly 1,700- 2,200 US dollars), and it takes three months to harvest the mushrooms. At the current price of 700,000 - 800,000 dong (31-35 US dollars) a kilogram, mushroom growers have an average income of around 5 million dong (roughly 220 US dollars) a month.
 A lingzhi mushroom product.  Lingzhi mushroom powder is good for one’s health.  Shiitake mushrooms are grown on the farm.  U.S farm products are exported to the US and Canada. |
U.S Farm also grows other mushrooms including straw mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, milky mushrooms and cordyceps.
In addition to lingzhi mushrooms, U.S farm products include lingzhi tea, lingzhi ginger tea, lingzhi coffee and lingzhi extracts that meet the quality standards and are exported to the US and Canada./.
By: Thanh Dat – Son Nghia
